Best History Articles & Videos on the internet • Discoverology

History

Read the best history articles from around the internet, or watch the most insightful history videos from platforms like Youtube, Vimeo or leading history publishers like The New York Times, The Atlantic, Vanity Fair, New Yorker and many more.

History Remembers These People, Just Not Their Names

History Remembers These People, Just Not Their Names

History

Throughout history, people have made a name for themselves without anyone actually knowing their name, from the protestor who stood up to a tank in Tiananmen Square in 1989, to notorious successful hijacker D.B. Cooper (almost certainly not his real name).

The Deadliest Marksman’s Cold, Brave Stand

The Deadliest Marksman’s Cold, Brave Stand

Crime, History

Eighty years ago, a freezing Finnish farm boy took aim at the unstoppable Red Army — and became the greatest sharpshooter the world has ever seen. Simo Häyhä compiled, by some accounts, a kill count in excess of 500 by sniper rifle, more than anyone in recorded history.

The Origins Of The Sicilian Mafia

The Origins Of The Sicilian Mafia

Crime, History, Videos

The Sicilian Mafia, referred to by its own members as Cosa Nostra, a phrase meaning “our thing”, is an infamous association of criminal syndicates. They are famous for their heavy-handed role in protection racketeering, alcohol and drug smuggling, and other organized illegal activities across the world.

How One American Citizen Was Forcibly Drafted Into The South Korean Army

How One American Citizen Was Forcibly Drafted Into The South Korean Army

History, Politics

Illinois-born Young Chun thought a stint teaching English in Korea would be a quick and easy way to pay off his mounting post-college debt. He could not have been more wrong. Chun became a victim of a collision between unforgiving bureaucracy and the meddling of an unknown family member thousands of miles away.

The Rise And Fall Of Pan Am

The Rise And Fall Of Pan Am

Business, History, Videos

Pan Am was once the largest international airline in the US. In 1970 alone, it carried 11 million passengers to 86 countries worldwide. But after 60 years of flight, decades of financial turbulence, and a devastating terrorist attack above the skies of Lockerbie, Scotland, Pan Am went bust.

The Violent Eviction That Transformed San Francisco

The Violent Eviction That Transformed San Francisco

History, Videos

In 1968, a group of predominantly Filipino elders in San Francisco launched a battle to protect their home from eviction. Their fight for their neighborhood would evolve into a nearly decade-long protest with thousands of supporters and become a symbol of the campaign for affordable housing for decades to come.

The True Toll Of The Chernobyl Disaster

The True Toll Of The Chernobyl Disaster

Health, History, Science

On 26 April 1986 reactor number four at the power plant suffered a catastrophic explosion that exposed the core and threw clouds of radioactive material over the surrounding. Covered up by a secretive Soviet Union at the time, the true number of deaths and illnesses caused by the nuclear accident are only now becoming clear.

Alexey Vasilyev

Inspiration
Alexey Vasilyev
'Bizarre As Hell': The Disappearance Of The Yuba County Five

'Bizarre As Hell': The Disappearance Of The Yuba County Five

Crime, History

How five men came to be on an inhospitable mountain road more than 50 miles from their homes in and around Marysville and Yuba City, California, was just one of the mysteries surrounding their disappearance. All five had intellectual disabilities or psychiatric issues to various degrees.

The Illustrated History Of How Sugar Conquered The World

The Illustrated History Of How Sugar Conquered The World

Food, History

If you want to understand Western history, you have to understand sugar. And vice versa. Because sugar’s not just something sweet: over the centuries it’s been a medicine, a spice, a symbol of royalty, and an instrument of disease, addiction, and oppression.

‘I Would Rather Win A Pulitzer Prize Than Be President’

‘I Would Rather Win A Pulitzer Prize Than Be President’

History, Politics

Margaret Coit uncovered many new details about Kennedy’s literary obsession, including his direct involvement in pursuing a Pulitzer and in using his family’s wealth to keep his ghostwriter quiet. In the end, Kennedy got everything he wanted—the presidency and the Pulitzer both.

Spanish Flu: A Warning From History

Spanish Flu: A Warning From History

Health, History, Videos

Celebrations marking the end of the First World War were cut short by the onslaught of a devastating disease – the 1918-19 influenza pandemic. The University of Cambridge has made a new film exploring what we have learnt about Spanish Flu, the urgent threat posed by influenza today, and how scientists are preparing for future pandemics.

"I Met The Walrus", An Animated Interview With John Lennon

"I Met The Walrus", An Animated Interview With John Lennon

Art, History, Videos

In 1969, a 14-year-old Beatle fanatic named Jerry Levitan snuck into John Lennon’s hotel room in Toronto and convinced him to do an interview. 38 years later, Levitan, director Josh Raskin and illustrators James Braithwaite and Alex Kurina have collaborated to create an animated short film.

Snapshots of Manchester In The 1960s

Snapshots of Manchester In The 1960s

History, Photos

A series of photos of Manchester in the 60s, including Piccadilly Gardens, Manchester Central Station, The Scala cinema on Wilmslow Road, Ringway (Manchester) Airport, the Church of the Holy Name, the Manchester City Art Gallery, Piccadilly Plaza, Mancunian Way, Mosley Street and more.

Death In The Alps

Death In The Alps

History

Two planes from the same airline crashed in the same spot in the Alps, 16 years apart. Now the glaciers of Chamonix are melting. And as the ice turns to water, it is releasing secrets that have stayed frozen for the past 60 years.

Vsevolod Shvayba

Inspiration
Vsevolod Shvayba
'The Intelligence Coup Of The Century'

'The Intelligence Coup Of The Century'

Crime, History, Long Reads

For more than half a century, governments all over the world trusted a single company, Crypto AG, to keep the communications of their spies, soldiers and diplomats secret. But what none of its customers ever knew was that Crypto AG was secretly owned by the CIA.

A Dictator's Birthday Present To Himself

A Dictator's Birthday Present To Himself

History, Videos, World

In 1968, Albanian Communist dictator Enver Hoxha did what any leader espousing equality among all people would naturally do. He demanded his name be written into a mountain. It was a birthday present that he was giving himself.

"Balloonfest", The Spectacle That Became A Tragedy

"Balloonfest", The Spectacle That Became A Tragedy

History, Videos

In September 1986, the city of Cleveland attempted to set a special record: the simultaneous launch of 1.5 million balloons. But fate intervened, and the result was both crazier and more tragic than anyone could have imagined.

OK Soda Marketing History: Not Good, Not Bad, Just OK

OK Soda Marketing History: Not Good, Not Bad, Just OK

Food, History

A quarter-century ago, a really big soda company attempted to subvert itself to reach Gen X. The problem? Coca-Cola’s OK Soda was a couple of decades too early. The story about The Coca Cola Company’s failed attempts to use irony, disenfranchisement, and disillusionment to sell us subpar soda.

Before Beauty Vlogging, There Were Renaissance ‘Books of Secrets’

Before Beauty Vlogging, There Were Renaissance ‘Books of Secrets’

History, Media

So-called Books of Secrets were a new and wildly-popular literary genre during the Italian Renaissance. Written in vernacular Italian, they instructed an increasingly literate public in the pursuit of alchemy, making secrets previously circulated in Latin manuscripts amongst the educated elite more broadly accessible.

Nietzsche On How To Find Yourself And The True Value Of Education

Nietzsche On How To Find Yourself And The True Value Of Education

History, Life, Psychology

Friedrich Nietzsche considered the journey of self-discovery one of the greatest and most fertile existential difficulties. “Any human being who does not wish to be part of the masses need only stop making things easy for himself. “Be yourself! All that you are now doing, thinking, desiring, all that is not you.”

Alexey Titarenko

Inspiration
Alexey Titarenko
The People Who Shaped The World Wide Web

The People Who Shaped The World Wide Web

History, Long Reads, Tech

Thirty years ago, the world wide web was a way for scientists to share data. Since then, it’s become a critical force for industry, and how the world connects. But this didn’t happen all at once. The web’s evolution has been shaped by the geography of its creators and users.

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